Drinkable Destinations

03/09/2024

Tollwood Winterfestival, the alternative to the Christmas Markets. It is an eclectic mix of live music, artists, arts and crafts, outdoor activities and culinary delights. When it gets darks, the colorful "Magic Forest" of the lights illuminate the tents drawing you to the festival grounds.

It is here at the Oktoberfest grounds that you'll find the famous Feuerzangenbowle, laughing Münchners playing shuffleboard and warm winter delicacies!

Join us on the Christkindl Markets Tour this December to experience the sights and scenes in Munich during Christmas season!

29/08/2024

There it is, the Feuerzangenbowle! Warm Glühwein with a flaming rum soaked sugar cube on top.

Experience the Tollwood Winter Festval in Munich with us on the Chirstkindl Markets Tour this December! This is small group tour and space is limited.

29/08/2024

Christkindl Markets in Germany, a Drinkable Destination? Oh yes.

Have you heard of the Feuerzangenbowle? This translates to "Fire Tongs Punch" and is a winter delight. This is a mug of Glühwein with a rum soaked sugar cube placed on top and lit alight. The sugar melts, caramelizes and adds a special flavor to the Glühwein.

Join us on our Christkindl Markets Tour and you'll be able to try this belly warmer at the Tollwood Winter Festival at the Oktoberfest grounds in Munich.

20/08/2024

Everywhere you go in Germany, they have their own local style of sausage. In Nürnberg, we found the Nürnberger sausage in the street food "Drei im Weckla".
Three small smoked and spiced sausages are placed in a roll with your choice of added sauerkraut and mustard. This delicious treat is readily available in stalls around the Christkindl Markt in Nürnberg. We loved this style so much, we have been getting it from the Bavaria Sausage House in Verona, WI to satiate our appetite for German Sausage!

Why are they so small? There is a legend that while the city gates were locked at night during the middle ages, sausage makers outside the city walls shrunk the size of their sausages so they could be fit through the keyholes of the gates to feed the sentries.

Experience the unique culinary traditions in Germany on our Christkindl Markets Tour this December!

13/08/2024

Ah, the Christkindl Markets of Germany! You can grab a warm mug of Glühwein and walk the stalls perusing all the handmade ornaments for Christmas time. But these markets aren’t only ornaments, you can also find a variety of artisan crafted delights from leather goods, winter garments, handmade toys, ceramic/porcelain goods, lighting as well as all sorts of delicious traditional treats.

Experience the Christmas spirit from the source of many of our Christmas traditions on our Christkindl Markets Tour this December!

10/08/2024

Did anyone make it out to the pre-party to try our collab last night? We’re really happy with how it turned out! Be sure to stop by the K4 tent today at the to sample some! 🍻

07/08/2024

Salzburg, Austria will be our final stop on the Christkindl Markets Tour this December. We will arrive from Munich and enjoy a day with Levi The Thirsty Historian - Custom Experiences in Munich & Bavaria exploring the city and the markets. We will finish off the evening with a farewell dinner at the Stiegl Keller, a large Austrian beer hall.

The tourism bureau of Salzburg produced this really nice video showcasing the Christmas spirit of the city. Join us for our tour this December to experience the magic of Christmas in Austria!

Der Salzburger Christkindlmarkt am Domplatz feiert heuer sein 40-jähriges Jubiläum.Der Salzburger Christkindlmarkt bietet mit seiner Tradition und seinem Amb...

03/08/2024

Fun project! We brewed a pink peppercorn saison with Karben4 Brewing for the pre-Great Taste party at the K4 taproom! Nice and dry with a hint of pepper, it’s going to be lovely. Make sure you stop by the K4 pre-Great Taste party or their tent at the Great Taste to try it! 🍻 Great Taste of the Midwest (SM) Great Taste of the Midwest Enthusiasts Penzeys Spices

02/08/2024

We’ve got a new Drinkable Destinations opening up on the north side of Madison!
Our good friend Simon Dettinger is opening his own bar after working for two decades at the Vintage Spirits and Grill.
It’s gonna be a great spot for Robyn and I to stop on our way home from central Madison.

Opens tomorrow, check it out!

On Aug. 3, Northside Lounge — owned by former Vintage Spirits & Grill bartender Simon Dettinger — opens at 1022 N. Sherman Ave.

22/07/2024

Join us for a festive trip through a German winter wonderland on the Bavarian Christkindl Markets Tour!
We're partnering with The Thirsty Historian - Custom Experiences in Munich & Bavaria and other local guides to put together a great 5 day, 6 night tour. Some highlights include:
-Christmas markets in Nuremberg, Rothenberg ob der Tauber, Munich and Salzburg.
-Alpine adventure day with cable car ride to Germany's highest brewery, distillery and restaurant.
-City caves and beer cellars tour in Nuremberg
-Seasonal food and drink sampling including Glühwein, Feurezangenbowle and Lebkuchen.
-And so much more!
Monday, December 9th - Saturday, December 14th, 2024. Message us for more information or visit our website. And don't delay! This is a small group affair with a capacity of 8-12 people. AND ONLY 4 SPOTS REMAIN!
Reservation deadline is September 3rd, 2024.

12/07/2024

I hope there are some left in September when we are there with our group!

375 Jahre T-Shirt 🍻 😍 gibt’s am Sonntag den 28.07.24 bei uns zu kaufen, kommt gerne vorbei 🥳

08/07/2024

How was everyone’s 4th of July? We had a blast hosting friends for a bbq. Sometimes the most drinkable destination is your own backyard! Post your pics! 🍻🎇🎆

03/07/2024

A big welcome goes out to Alice and Steven for joining our Oktoberfest and Bavaria Tour this fall! And that means we are now SOLD OUT for the tour.

If you are interested in Oktoberfest in 2025, please send us a message and we will get you on our list of interested guests.

29/06/2024

A fantastic stop in northern Wisconsin! Great food (and drinks, of course!), great service, great people. We really enjoyed chatting with Todd (owner) while sitting at the bar. We were a bit skeptical about the Norwegian pancake with jalapeno, powdered sugar, and lemon but now we can’t wait to try to recreate it! The Delta Diner is definitely a must-stop if you’re in the area. We can’t wait to check out the Tap Shack too! (3 photo cred from Delta Diner website)

26/06/2024

Our drinkable destination yesterday was Tom’s Burned Down Cafe and this is one of our favorite bars in the world. This gem is located on Madeline Island, a short ferry ride from Bayfield WI. This bar is really just a tent with an eclectic collection of seemingly found items repurposed to make a bar. If you look closely at the picture of the music stage, you can see that the stage is built on top of a REALLY late model car. Been here many times, first time noticing that. Wild!

All the hand drawn wood signs with quotes and sayings can keep you busy for hours.

Why is it called Tom’s Burned Down Cafe? There is a story that while building out an actual bar, the structure caught on fire overnight just before opening. So in a rush, Tom threw up an old sail as a tarp and started slinging drinks from under the sail.
We’ve got a friend who worked on the island for years and we heard a slightly more detailed version of this story. We won’t tell this juicy version on social media but feel free to ask us next time you run into us!

24/06/2024

We take punctuation very seriously 🥂

22/06/2024

Rainy days in the are spent like this 🍹🍹🍻

22/06/2024

Friday, June 21st 2024 marks our 10 year wedding anniversary! To celebrate, we are spending a week in northern Wisconsin supper clubbing, paddling, biking, touring and, of course, drinking with lake views.

On our way up last night, we stopped for drinks and dinner Bootleggers Lodge near Tomahawk on Lake Nokomis. We visited here last in 2022 on a week long up nort vacation and we knew we had to come back. The decor is an eclectic mix of 30’s gangster and western lodge.
It’s located on a short channel between arms of Lake Nokomis with a boat up beach and big patio. The restaurant is just up a small hill with beautiful views of the lake.

Drinks and dinner there were fabulous. Reservations are a good idea; despite the pictures (taken between 8-9:30 pm), it was BUSY and lively.
Drinks and dinner were fab, we recommend!

18/06/2024

This could be you next year! Watch for our September 2025 tour! Repost from
•
😎 Vanaf deze week zijn we op woensdag en donderdag open tot 23u00! Jawel, perfect om de zon te zien zakken in het hopveld 😉

Weetjes 👇
• Deze zomer kan je reserveren als je wenst langs te komen. Reserveren kan via www.barbernard.be of tel nr +32 57 38 80 21
• Heb je geen reservatie gemaakt, dan kan je steeds terecht in onze buitenbar / selfservice zone (indien mooi weer)

🍽️ Je ontdekt nu al onze zomerkaart op onze website 🧐 👉 link in bio

Tot binnenkort in Watou?

16/06/2024

💯lives up to the hype as one of the top drinkable destinations in Wisconsin. Just beautiful. Old fashioneds for the win!

08/06/2024

On this rainy Saturday morning in Madison, we made the our Drinkable Destination for one of our favorite weekend drinks. And in our usual fashion, we can’t have a Bloody Mary without all the accompaniments; water, coffee and, of course, the chaser.
What’s your Drinkable Destination today?
We will also be going to Marquette Waterfront Fest on Madison’s east side. Hope to see you there friends!

23/05/2024

The hop harvest! We will be in Germany right in the middle of hop harvest and the plan is to visit the hop fields on our way to Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Hops are used to preserve and balance the flavor of beer and the Hallertau region just northeast of Munich has been a hop growing region for over 1200 years!

Join us for our Oktoberfest and Bavaria Tour in September 2024. ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT!

17/05/2024

In September 2018, we brought our first group tour to Germany for Oktoberfest. Our welcome dinner was at Augustiner Keller and Biergarten with food, cheer and a fresh barrel of beer served all around. Our local guide, The Thirsty Historian - Custom Experiences in Munich & Bavaria , was able to arrange a viewing of the Packers v. Vikings game in the biergarten. We had fans from each with our group and it was such a special treat!

Now, we can't guarantee that again, however, it is those types of experiences that come from our partnering with local guides for our group tours. Join us on our next tour, the Oktoberfest and Bavaria Tour in September 2024. ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT!

14/05/2024

We've talked about the rides before... it's not only a beerfest, it is also a carnival. Now, the carnival rides they have in Germany, some of them you would never see in the US…. Take for example the Teufelsrad or Devil's Wheel. For a mere couple Euros, you too can enter this attraction and watch this spectacle. Your price of admission also gives you the privilege of joining in the fun, if you dare.

It starts off slow but speeds up slowly, sometimes rapidly. At about 1:15, they drop the ball. About 15 seconds later, they add ropes to get the participants off. There is no prize, just bragging rights of you make it to the last person sitting!

Get a chance to watch this spectacle and see the carnival at Oktoberfest on our Oktoberfest and Bavaria Tour this fall. ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT on this small group tour! (max. 12 people)

Devil's wheel is a popular mechanical attraction found at Oktoberfest, the traditional beer festival in Munich, Germany. It is also known as the "Teufelsrad ...

10/05/2024

It's May! So it is the time for Maypole raising traditions across Germany, particularly in Bavaria. Maypole are generally raised on May 1st, a tradition dating back to Pagan times throughout German speaking lands. It represented the power of spring and the return of life. A signal for planting time? A time for parades and trachten (traditional dress like Lederhosen and Dirndls)? An excuse for a good party? All of the above!

Pictured here is the famous Maypole that stands year round in Munich, Bavaria. This is a landmark in the Viktualienmarkt in the center of Munich. It is painted in blue and white representing the Bavaria flag.

You'll see this Maypole and more on our Oktoberfest and Bavaria Tour in September! There are ONLY 2 SPOTS REMAINING for this wonderful Germany experience.

08/05/2024

We're looking forward to bringing back a new Maßkrug from Oktoberfest this year. There is a new theme on the official Oktoberfest ceramic Maßkrug every year and you can also shop for branded glass or ceramic Maßkrüge at the individual tents featuring their theme and brewery. All the little trinkets and doodads they sell are fun to look through as well!

Join us on our Oktoberfest and Bavaria Tour this year and do some shopping for keepsakes that will remind you of the great times you had on our trip. ONLY TWO SPOTS REMAINING for our small group tour! (max. 12 people)

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02/05/2024

We will be visiting this Bräuhaus with The Thirsty Historian - Custom Experiences in Munich & Bavaria during our Oktoberfest and Bavaria Tour this year! Only 2 spots left on the September 18th-24th, 2024 tour.

What's up with that umlaut above the "a"? Well, it changes the pronunciation of the word and also the connotation of meaning.
When you see the combination of " äu " together, it is pronounced "Broy" like boy with an "R". Haus is pronounced similar to House but with an emphasized "ow" for the "au".

What about the connotation? Bräuhaus indicates that this particular location brews beer onsite or is owned by the brewery itself. If it is Brauhaus, they are affiliated with the brewery (licensed) and are allowed to use the breweries' name for their establishment.

Certainly, there could be some nuances I am missing but Levi would be happy to elaborate when we meet him!

29/04/2024

A rainy Sunday morning; Weißwurst frühstück, a traditional Bavarian breakfast, seemed like just thing. You wouldn’t have Weißwurst without its partner wheat beer so we paired it up with Dancing Man Wheat from New Glarus Brewing Co. a Bavarian style wheat beer. Excellent pairing!

Have you brought any traditions or customs home from your travels?

27/04/2024

We’re missing 👑 Koningsdag (King’s Day) this year, but planning a tour for 2026 that will include King’s Day. Definitely one of the biggest and best parties we’ve ever been to! 🍻 Who’s coming with us?? 🧡🇳🇱🌷